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Front Page » Transportation » Miami poised to create transportation trust

Miami poised to create transportation trust

Written by on September 8, 2015
  • www.miamitodayepaper.com
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Miami poised to create transportation trust

It’s been talked about for months, and today (9/10) Miami city commissioners are to consider the first of two votes to create a transportation trust fund.

Sponsored by Commissioner Francis Suarez, the trust is proposed to help fund public transit and other transportation-related projects, with a goal of lessening roadway gridlock.

On today’s commission agenda is the first reading of an amendment creating a transportation trust fund as part of the city’s current ordinance on motor vehicles and traffic.

The proposed legislation says the fund would be used “to facilitate the creation, operation, and maintenance, including capital and operating costs, of mass transit and other transportation facilities within the City, and public parking garages for transit enhancement purposes.”

It says trust fund money could be used as the city’s share of the cost of an eligible project undertaken by other governments or through a public-private partnership. As an example, city and county officials have considered a public-private partnership to build and run a light rail system connecting Miami and Miami Beach.

Revenue to feed the trust fund would come from several sources.

The proposed legislation says at least 20% of any unrestricted one-time cash payments to the city of $500,000 or more, including payments received through lease re-negotiations, judgments from lawsuits, audit findings or any other lump sum payments would go to the trust fund for mass transit capital or acquisition costs.

Another revenue source would be a portion of money that developers pay into the city’s Public Benefits Trust Fund. In general, developers can pay to build public benefit projects like parks or pay directly into the Public Benefits Fund in exchange for higher project density or other considerations.

The proposal says at least 20% of all cash contributions to the Public Benefits Trust Fund would be reserved for the new fund.

Also, the legislation says, each fiscal year, no less than one-quarter of one percent of the city’s general fund budget “shall be reserved in this Trust Fund for operation and maintenance costs associated with mass transit. These funds may be carried over to the succeeding fiscal year.”

There is also consideration for the costs of needed parking garages built into the new fund, with revenue coming from developers who seek parking requirement reductions.

“All funds collected through parking ratio reductions… shall be reserved in this Trust Fund for capital or acquisition costs associated with the creation of new public parking garages operated by the Department of Off-Street Parking.”

Contributions to the fund would not be limited to the minimums cited. Expenditures from the fund would require four votes from the five-member city commission upon a written recommendation from the city manager.

An included support document, the “2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard” from Texas A&M Transportation Institute, ranks Miami sixth of 15 large cities with the worst traffic congestion in the nation in terms of hours lost stuck in traffic and excess fuel consumed.

5 Responses to Miami poised to create transportation trust

  1. aceraroja

    September 9, 2015 at 10:54 am

    Fine, just DO IT. Get rid of the parking garage part. If developers in Miami, of all markets, think parking isn’t needed, it’s not needed.

  2. Edward

    September 11, 2015 at 1:14 am

    Actually I disagree that it shouldn’t be spent on parking garages as those are expensive projects. If you don’t like surface lots then you would support funds going toward creating central parking like they are doing in the Design District as well as Wynwood in order to prevent unnecessary parking lots.

  3. Michael Anguelo

    September 14, 2015 at 9:24 am

    The Traffic.
    The night mare of driving in Miami, and any other cities in Florida, is becoming an act of heroism, especially to the 3rd age retired citizen, driving in any city, is an act of bravery. The traffic has increments in exaggerates proportion, due the increment of population, nevertheless it is not an excuse to not have an organized system, and implementing traffic reforms to have better transit flow. The transit system in Miami Dade and other cities is terrible, in fact all cities of the nation. I commenced a crusade, about 5 years ago to have cities officials of Miami Dade, Hialeah, Miami City, and at Federal level the DOT, Federal Department of Traffic, the medias and anybody that may be interested in my suggestions, only Commissioner Xavier Suarez, through his Facebook page, reacted to my ideas, and refer me to one of his assistant Named Gutierrez or something like that, but that was the end, then the DOT transit Department, sent my an email, giving me the thank, and that too was the end.
    My prosed idea was as follow:

    1. Synchronizing the traffic lights in the principal Avenues and Streets.

    2. The frizzing of the four red lights for about 5 to 10 seconds, to prevent collisions at the intersections, means that if one driver take the red, is almost, but not impossible, that a second driver take the red light at the same time.

    3. To prevent the accidents at a stop, the possibility will very small if we install speed bumps about 5 to 10 feet before the sing signal.

    4. Using speed bumps in any secondary intersections, like four way stop signs. This are my simple’s suggestions that will reduce the accidents and increments of the traffic flow of the city.

    5. Installation de speed bumps every 4 o 5 lights to minimizing the speeding traffic.

    6. The abolition of the traffic cameras.

    It is not the magic bullet to solve the traffic problems in the nation, but a good remedy that cost no much and save lives

    I am sure that the politician will protest this disposition, because it imply les income for the treasury chest of the city government, and this is detrimental for the politician’s pockets, Judges and lawyers, but by the contrary, will stabilized traffic, less accidents, less death, and at the long run, the city will save money. Only the lawyer, the cameras company, and their associates (judges) for sure will protest emphatically. At the end lives will be save, that what is important

  4. Michael Anguelo

    September 14, 2015 at 9:41 am

    El trafico
    Conducir en Miami, y en el resto de los municipios, se está convirtiendo en un acto de heroísmo, sobre todo los conductores de la 3ª edad, ir conduciendo en cualquier ciudad en los Estados Unidos es un acto de valentía. El tráfico por supuesto ha incrementado en enorme proporciones exageradas, debido el incremento de la población, pero no es excusa para no tener un sistema organizado e implementar reformas para el tráfico.
    El Departamento de tránsito de Miami Dade y las periferias ciudades, es terrible, de hecho a las ciudades de toda la nación. Yo empecé mi cruzada hace cinco años, contacte a funcionarios, (como comisionado Xavier Suarez) de las ciudades y departamentos de tránsito federal, DOT y otros organismos, sin una respuesta, sin embargo voy a seguir hasta la administración del Departamento de tráfico de cada ciudad y el Departamento Federal de transporte de escuchar mi solución. De hecho, tengo la solución del tráfico en Miami, y en los Estados Unidos, quizas en el mundo entero:

    1. la sincronización de los semáforos de las principales avenidas y calles.

    2. El encresparse de la luz roja en cada intersección, las cuatro luces en menos 5to10 segundos. Instalación de badén (Speed bump), en todos los pares y en las luces de tráfico, cada 4-5 luces….

    3. La sincronización de las luces de tráfico de las principales avenidas y calles.

    4. Mantener las luces en rojas de las cuatro esquinas, todas por un periodo de 5 a 10 minutos.

    5. Instalación de speed bumps (badén), en todos los pares (stops) al menos 10 pies antes de la señal de pare.

    6.Installation de speed bumps every 4 o 5 lights to minimizing the speeding traffic.

    7.The abolition of the traffic cameras.
    Es la solucion del problematico trafico en Miami.

  5. Victor

    October 9, 2015 at 11:45 am

    What are these idiots talking about? The county is already collecting a 1/2 penny tax for the transit system. Where is that money? Now they want to great another trust and have residents pay more??? It’s time to move out of this city. Miami is clearly run by idiots.

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